When you're shopping for crossover SUVs, it can seem like they are all just different flavors of bland. The Mazda CX-5 breaks that mold. It has an engaging driving character, yet it still gives you pretty much everything you're looking for, including great fuel economy. Let's take a closer look at what makes this Mazda tick.

the Mazda CX-5 receives a refresh in the form of minor styling tweaks, improved interior materials, revised suspension tuning, added sound insulation and an updated infotainment interface. New options include LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and lane departure warning, while Bluetooth is now standard across the board. Additionally, a midyear update brings separate 2016.5 models (production after January 2016) that include a standard rearview camera (except manual-transmission Sport), standard heated seats for the Touring trim and standard navigation for both Touring and Grand Touring

Pros
Sporty driving feel that makes you feel secure while cornering
Engines earn great fuel economy
Spacious seating in both rows
Many desirable safety features

Mazda, the maverick, does so much with so little. The Hiroshima-based company almost singlehandedly keeps the affordable-sports-car-flame flickering with the MX-5 and, for the most part, has resisted intertwining its operations with other automakers in ways that would help growth but almost certainly blur its focus. There’s no large pickup or truck-based SUV channeling fat profits into the company coffers, covering the tab for poorly conceived, money-losing offerings elsewhere in the lineup (if Mazda had any). Small in scale compared with other mainstream brands, Mazda’s every model must stand on its own

the 2016 CX-5’s updates at its Los Angeles auto show unveiling, but it’s worth repeating that most of them focus on the cabin and things that the driver and passengers interact with most. In general, the refreshed CX-5’s interior details are classier. There are nicer materials and tasteful accent trim on the dashboard and console. The armrests are more comfortable

The Mazda CX-5 ushered in a new era for large SUVs when it was first released back in 2012. With sporty handling, an attractive interior and class leading practicality, it proved that family motoring didn’t have to be boring

For some time the CX-5 was our default choice in this class, but just recently the launch of some newer and more practical rivals has changed the landscape somewhat. Buyers now have the choice of cars such as the brilliant Skoda Kodiaq (available in both five and seven-seat form), along with a host of slightly smaller, but still suitably practical, choices like the Seat Ateca, Peugeot 5008 and VW Tiguan.

But as the increasingly congested SUV class gets more and more competitive, the question is: can the Mazda CX-5 rise to the top once again? Read on to find out exactly how it compares, and which engines, trims and options we recommend.

Therefore, to counter this European onslaught, Mazda has treated its compact SUV to a comprehensive refresh. The design team claims boosts in design, interior quality, performance and driving dynamics, so, despite having a near identical footprint and dimensions to its predecessor, this model is a very different proposition.

Pros
Stylish interior
Comfortable ride
Well equipped

Cons
Not so rewarding to drive
Some rivals have more boot space
No seven-seat option

One of the very best crossovers you can buy, the Mazda CX-5 is well made, really enjoyable to drive and good-looking too. Recent upgrades have improved the interior ambience and upped the technology levels so it's now on a par with rivals.

The CX-5 came at a crucial time for Mazda. Launched during a tricky period, the company was lacking serious competitors in important market sectors, the fashionable SUV had to be a true saviour. Mazda poured money into a new platform, all-new engines, and a selection of lightweight, fuel-saving technologies - and named the whole package SkyActiv. Happily, the gamble paid off, and the CX-5 is a brilliant crossover. It combines all of Mazda's new tech to great effect and the resulting car is good-looking, practical, impressively efficient, but almost uniquely for a car in this sector, it's fun to drive.

The CX-5's success helped to put Mazda back in the black and the package of SkyActiv technologies has gone on to star across most of the company's range.

The 2016 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport Safety remains among the very best medium SUVs in class, despite stiffer competition of late

The Mazda CX-5 is not exactly a car that has slipped under anyone’s radar here at CarAdvice. Since it launched in 2012 it has consistently ranked as one of our favourite medium SUVs. Its facelift at the start of 2015 only enhanced the appeal.

Our stance to the car has long been reflected in the sales charts too. The Mazda CX-5 is, more often than not, Australia’s top-selling SUV of any sort, and almost always in the overall monthly top 10.

But the medium SUV segment just keeps on booming — no part of the new vehicle market is growing faster — and a swathe of new rivals just keep on launching. First it was the Hyundai Tucson, then the new Kia Sportage. The past few months have also brought with them updates to the Toyota RAV4, Ford Kuga and Subaru Forester

As you can read in our recent comparison test against the Hyundai and Kia — a veritable battle of the class heavyweights — the Mazda still holds up pretty well. But the general consensus is that it’s no longer the undisputed class champion.

The all-new 2017 Kia Niro is classified as a compact hybrid crossover SUV, though it really functions more like a hatchback. Your view of the road is marginally higher because of the Niro's elevated stance, but Kia doesn't offer the Niro with all-wheel drive, so don't expect to be a snow-busting trailblazer in bad weather. The Niro's core appeal comes from its traditional exterior design (no "hybrid!" shouting here) as well as a new powertrain that is capable of returning up to an EPA-estimated 50 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

Pros:
Impressive fuel economy from the base trim model
Six-speed transmission shifts like a conventional car's
One of the more affordable hybrids in the segment
Batteries are hidden under the rear seat and don't affect cargo space

By calling it a crossover, the Korean brand also wants to get in the minds of the consumer wanting more utility. We all know crossover sales are booming, and part of their likeability is their higher ride height and boxy, useable interior space. But after spending a full day driving the Niro in Texas Hill Country, the question stuck in my head was whether it is really a crossover. The Niro is just 3.3 inches taller and has the same ground clearance as the Hyundai Ioniq, which it shares its platform with. And in terms of passenger volume, the Niro has only a small advantage, encasing 97.1 cubic feet versus the Ioniq’s 96.2 cubic feet. Although its two-box design might help its case for being a crossover, I suspect most will just see it as a lifted hatchback.

By:

motortrend.com

You shouldn’t have any nasty surprises, either. Kia was rated as above average in our most recent reliability survey and the Niro also gets a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty – a class-leading feature.

Pros:
Low CO2 emissions
Spacious interior
Long warranty

Cons:
More conventional rivals are cheaper
Not much fun to drive
Firm low speed ride